Ranunculus ololeucos

Aquatic perennial of the buttercup family, this capillary-leaved buttercup is a species of Western Europe, mainly found in the Iberian Peninsula, in the southwest of France and in Portugal. It is confined to oligotrophic, shallow, and acidic freshwater, temporary ponds, ponds, and small mountain lakes on siliceous substrate, sometimes up to 2000 meters and beyond in the Pyrenees and the Sierra Nevada.

The plant is entirely aquatic, without floating leaves with distinct lobes. It only develops submerged leaves finely divided into capillary segments, forming flexible and translucent mats that cover the water surface. The photographs perfectly illustrate this dense and shimmering carpet that can entirely cover small high-altitude water bodies.

The flowers barely emerge above the surface, small, with five pure white petals with a yellow base, of delicate appearance. It is the very name of the species that evokes this uniform whiteness, ololeucos meaning entirely white in Greek.

In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from May to July depending on the altitude.

Species protected in several French regions due to the rarity of its habitats. It is not cultivated in ordinary gardens and remains a field plant, observed in situ in natural high-altitude wetland areas.